


Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

by TruebornAlpha



Series: The Road Not Taken [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Garrison - Freeform, M/M, Mutual Pining, Mutually Unrequited, SHEITH - Freeform, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles, Sparring, a chance to be happy, but for how long, pre-kerberos, protective keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7665442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiro has always been Keith’s hero and the only one in the Garrison to care about him, and that meant there were lines he couldn’t cross. No matter how he felt about Keith, telling him the truth would ruin their friendship and be a betrayal. But now that he’s set to graduate and leave on the mission to Kerberos, time is running out.</p><p>Shiro and Keith have another chance to redo their mistakes from the past and finally be happy, but nothing is ever that simple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

**Author's Note:**

> Keith is an 18 year old first year at the Garrison, Shiro is a 22 year old senior.

Shiro’s head rocked back with the force of the blow, sending him stumbling for his footing. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, blinking at the man in front of him in confusion.  _What had he been doing?_  But no answer was forthcoming. 

Just out of reach, Keith danced back on the balls of his feet, feigning another jab. Keith was smiling, like Shiro hadn’t seen in a long time.

“You’re not paying attention, that one went right through your defenses. Come on, you’re supposed to be the one teaching me.” He said, goading Shiro on, the gleam in his eye had brightened into something wicked. Keith was in his gym uniform, his jogging pants proudly barring the Garrison’s emblem, and Shiro didn’t know why, but it just felt so damn right.

“You’re getting cocky, don’t let your guard down.” 

The exercise room was empty at this time of day. When classes were over, most of the Garrison recruits enjoyed their few free hours to relax before the next round of crushing exams and flight simulations. Shiro didn’t get to be the top of his class by being idle, every free moment was an opportunity to push himself and hone his skills. Keith knew what it was like to work hard and he’d been eager to accept Shiro’s offer of learning self-defense.  

They were a mismatched pair, the popular senior at the top of his class and the scrappy freshman loner, but Shiro didn’t care about the gossip. Meeting Keith had been an unexpected bright spot over the last few months. Even though he was an underclassman, he was the best pilot in the Garrison next to himself and more than that, he’d become a friend. A real one out of all the others who cared more about the fringe popularity than Shiro himself. He had the same drive Shiro did, focused on becoming the best and sacrificing everything else that got in the way.

Although Keith had never said a word, Shiro knew he was also a target. The Garrison bred competition and not all of it was kind. Keith was a bright talent putting the older Garrison students to shame with none of the social skills to soften the blow. Shiro had seen the bruises he hid beneath the long sleeves of his uniform and even a stern warning to his classmates behind Keith’s back didn’t seem to stop the abuse.

Now, he made Keith channel it into the rage behind his fists as they sparred.

“Maybe you’re just getting slow?”

“Oh, I’m getting you back for that, short stuff.” Shiro clenched his fists, adjusted his stance. Never forget the basics, his coach had always told him. They always grounded him, bringing back an old foundation he’d always been able to depend on. He didn’t want to admit how much he enjoyed these private sessions, working out their frustrations with no one but each other in the room. Keith laughed for him, more easily in private than anywhere else.

“What’s the hold up? Did I hit you too hard?” 

“Just wondering if it’ll take me ten seconds to pin you. Or eight.”

A look of utter indignity flashed across Keith’s face, and that was when Shiro attacked, feigning to his right with the anticipation Keith would move with him. He turned at the last moment, hands moving around Keith’s frame, bracing him in a textbook hold. Then he dragged Keith to the ground, using his extra weight to pin him. He struggled beneath Shiro, testing his limits, before his hand came down on the mat, and Shiro rolled away snickering.

Keith was red in the face, panting with exertion, and every inch of him screamed a promise for revenge. Losing was unacceptable, even to someone like Shiro. It was a challenge Shiro knew by heart and treasured just as deeply.

“Don’t let your guard down.” Shiro repeated, only a little smug, but they were already moving into their starting positions.

“Try that again. I dare you.”

Shiro struck low, hoping to startle his opponent, but Keith was ready for the attack this time. He vaulted over the taller man, wrapping his legs around Shiro’s neck and using the momentum to swing them both to the ground. Shiro was stronger, but Keith was more agile and he used it to his advantage.

“Alright, I yield.” Shiro laughed as Keith rolled back to his feet, immediately ready for another bout. He never did know when to quit. “You’re getting better at using your speed against a bigger opponent.

If it had been anyone else, Keith would have made a sour remark about his height, but he didn’t want to ruin Shiro’s compliment. He had been working hard on his own, ready to show his improvement the next time they had a chance to spar together and the fact the upperclassman had noticed was more than he’d hoped for. He still wasn’t used to casual kindness and huffed a vague thank you before dropping his hands. “Don’t tell me you’re done for the day.”

“I never said that. You’re getting better, but you’ve still got a lot to learn.”

“Then it’s a good thing I have you to teach me.”

Shiro had forgotten Keith used to do that, to say things that meant too much like they meant nothing at all, like he didn’t know he could make Shiro’s heart skip a beat without even trying. Shiro caught him sometimes, watching him with unspeakable intensity, like he was trying to figure something out, the same way he looked when he was faced with a new mission on the simulator. Shiro didn’t know what he was looking for, but part of him wished Keith never stopped. A lot of him wished it, actually.

“Then let’s see what you’ve got.”

When it was all over, they lay in a pile in the corner of the room, Keith with a towel over his eyes and Shiro’s water bottle in one hand. His features were flushed with color, his long hair plastered to his head, and his shirt hiked up, just a little. Just enough that Shiro could catch a glimpse of dark hair across his belly button. Shiro wanted his bottle back.

“So, I think I’m going to that party of yours,” Keith said, after taking a long drag of water, oblivious as always. He stretched tired muscles, vaguely put out that they’d already stopped. He never knew his limits, he would have pushed himself to collapse if he had his way.

Shiro had to bite back a sigh. “You know, I wish they’d wait for the results to come out before organizing anything.”

“You’re going to get it, Shiro.” Keith snorted. He sounded annoyed, like he thought Shiro was trying to make fun of him. “No one else is as qualified for the Kerberos mission.”

“I haven’t even graduated yet and there’s plenty of pilots who could fly for them.” As much as Shiro wanted the assignment, he was realistic. The Kerberos mission was the farthest from Earth that humans had ever traveled. They would be standing right at the edge of their solar system, staring out into what came next. If they were successful, they’d start launching extra-solar system missions in the next few years and who knew what was out there? It was everything he’d ever dreamed of, being the one to take that first step into the unknown. He’d spent his whole life chasing that one goal and when the Kerberos mission was announced, he couldn’t keep from applying even though he was the youngest candidate by far.

Keith fairly bristled at his words, insulted on Shiro’s behalf that he would dare downplay his own abilities. “So? You’re also the best pilot the Garrison has ever seen!”

“I’m not that good, Keith.”

“You are, I checked the records. You’ve logged more flight time than anyone in the Garrison in the past twenty years, you have the highest simulator success rate of all time. They’ve got to take you, they’d be idiots if they didn’t.”

Shiro chuckled softly and relaxed back against the mat. Of course Keith would check, the young man had been obsessed with ranking and success ever since he’d started at the Garrison in the Fall. It was the only thing he seemed to care about. He was harsh and abrasive, but only because he kept himself laser focused on his goals. Shiro could appreciate it and the quiet, awkward boy beneath that he hid away from everyone else. It was easy to be Keith’s friend, though much harder to keep from wanting more.

Shiro banished those thoughts as soon as he had them with experienced ease. Anything else would be taking advantage and he would never cross that line no matter how many times he thought of being on the receiving end of that focused passion.

“Well, you’re on your way to beating my record.”

Keith let out a noncommittal sound, but he seemed almost reluctant to admit, “Yeah.”

It was simple truth. The Garrison attracted a certain breed of people. If Shiro was pressed, he might call them all academics who made bad decisions, but that didn’t quite cover the passion that pushed them into the great unknown. There were a lot of people with the drive, determination, and intelligence to make it into outer space. None of them flew quite like Keith did. Even if a fair number were about as good at accepting compliments.

“Come on,” Shiro laughed, slapping Keith on the belly to make him  _oof_. He dodged a swipe aimed at his arm, letting his smile soothe any ruffled feathers as he pushed himself to his feet, looking down at Keith. “I’m gonna get glued to the mat at this rate. Loser buys dinner.”

Keith groaned with mock annoyance, and let Shiro pull him up. “Fine, but only meal swipes.”

Shiro’s hands didn’t linger, and his gaze didn’t wander. He told himself that was good enough. 

 

* * *

 

When Shiro got the news, the first person he called was his mother. But he’d wanted to call Keith.

 

* * *

 

“Congratulations!” 

The cheer went up and everyone raised their glass to Shiro. The party had piled into his room at the Garrison with drinks in tow, people spilling out into the hallways to celebrate. Competition for the Kerberos mission had been fierce, but out of all the applicants, they’d chosen Shiro, and it seemed like everyone he’d ever met in the Garrison had to stop by to wish him well.

It was overwhelming, but Shiro had never felt more proud. After working for so long, it had all paid off and success felt a little bit like shell shock. He was going to Kerberos, he was leading the mission to the very edge of known space to be the first person to ever step foot on the surface of Pluto’s moon. The stars were waiting for him and he was finally going to meet them.

He thanked every classmate that grasped his hand to congratulate him, still a bit too stunned to do more than just smile. He held the whole universe in his future, it was a lot to process. After the first wave died down, he retreated back against the wall to find his silent shadow had already beaten him to the spot.

“I told you that you were going to get it.”

Shiro gave Keith a smile, elbowing the freshman in the ribs until he managed to win a smile for himself too. Second important success of the day. “That’s because you always believe in me.”

“I’m always right.”

“Smug isn’t a good look on you.”

Keith’s grin just widened. He didn’t look the least bit bothered by any of this, and Shiro thought  _that_  was a good look on him. He wanted to draw him in and keep him close. Keith never did like crowds, even if he’d gotten better about them in the time they’d known each other. It didn’t hurt that Shiro was the most interested in talking to him. He just couldn’t pull himself away from the party until then, and he’d tried. There was always someone who wanted his attention.

Shiro had lost track of how many times he’d told people that he was honored by the opportunity, excited to be picked, embarrassed and thrilled to be the best. It had become a mantra of sorts. He didn’t think the senior common room was meant to hold this many people. Through every conversation, Keith lingered in his periphery, and time and time again, Shiro found his gaze drawn towards the younger man, keeping tabs on him, like it was second nature. He couldn’t see himself wandering off again.

Then across the way, a figure caught his eye.

It was her snow white hair, done up in an intricate but practical braid or cascading down her shoulders in long rivulets. Shiro wasn’t sure, didn’t know how it could be both at once. She moved through the crowds with a dizzying grace, subtle and restrained and so easy to miss to the untrained eye. He recognized the aristocratic lines of her dark features, and if he could just get to her, just -

“Hey, Shiro where’re you going?” 

His feet had moved on their own accord. He stopped only for a second, as Keith clapped him on the shoulder. When he looked back she was already gone.

“I-I thought I saw?” There was no trace of the woman and Shiro frowned, but Keith’s hand was on his arm and the touch drew him back to the present. “Never mind, sorry.”

Keith just leaned in against him and all other thoughts were lost. He never showed this sort of affection in public, too guarded to let down his walls or show any sort of weakness. Shiro held his breath to keep from ruining the moment, guilty to be enjoying it so much. Ten months was a long time to harbor feelings for his classmate, but Keith was a freshman and Shiro a senior. If it was anyone else, he could have said something long ago, but Keith looked at him like he could walk on water and there was no way he would ever disappoint his friend.

Something sad touched the back of his thoughts, old regret and loss.  

“Maybe I should get you something to drink?” Before Shiro could say a word, Keith pulled away and was already heading off through the crowd. “I’ll be right back.”

He held out his hand like he could stop Keith for a moment before letting it drop to his side. His friend would be right back, why was he so worried? Maybe then he would finally have the courage to pull Keith aside away from the party where they couldn’t be disturbed. There were so many people around, he doubted they’d be missed. With the Kerberos mission scheduled to launch in just a few weeks, and Shiro could almost feel the clock running out of time.

Except Keith didn’t come back.

Shiro waited for five minutes, craning his head over the crowds to catch a glimpse of the younger man. More schoolmates dropped by, some that Shiro only knew by face, but he was distracted at best, drifting off in mid-conversation again and again until he couldn’t take it any more. He would not be surprised to know that he hadn’t lasted very long at all.

He found the beverage table, pretended not to notice someone bringing in ‘homemade juice.‘ For one, painful moment, he was terrified, and his right hand clenched, heat curling through his skin, so powerful he was sure he could slice through steel if he tried.

“Hey, Shiro.” A woman from his class interrupted his search, her expression pinched. “Are you looking for Kogane? He was heading outside with  Johannessen. It was um… A little weird. I thought you should know.”

 _Damn_. That was like pouring gasoline on a fire, Johannessen never knew when to keep his mouth shut. The third year had a thorn in his side ever since Shiro had met him, always blaming his status in the class rankings on everyone else but himself. It was easy to get under Keith’s skin and Johannessen took a special pleasure in needling the younger man.

There was a shout from the hallway and Shiro shoved his way through the crowd without so much as a goodbye, but he hadn’t been quick enough. 

The fight had already started.

All those sparring lessons had paid off. Johannessen was bigger and stronger, but Keith used his speed as a weapon, striking hard in his opponent’s solar plexus. “Take it back!” The words snarled passed his lips as he drove the other boy back, not even giving Johannessen a chance to steady himself. “Take it back or I swear I’ll kill you!”

“Keith!” Shiro’s voice was lost in the crowd that surrounded the fight, cheering on the violence as Keith struck again. Blood from Johannessen’s broken nose sprayed across Keith’s skin like a brand, but it was never enough. He tackled the bigger boy, bringing them both crashing down until knuckles met with the crack of bone.

Keith was ruthless and unforgiving, and it showed in every movement, every attack. Johannessen expected a schoolyard brawl, but Keith might as well have brought a knife to this fight. Someone screamed, just beginning to realize how far out of control things had gotten, but Shiro was already moving. Keith wouldn’t listen to reason until Shiro physically drove Keith off of his opponent, pinning an arm behind his back and slamming him into the corridor wall.

“Keith! Keith  _stop!_ ” 

The other man let out a startled hiss and went abruptly still. Johannessen hadn’t picked himself off the ground. Their audience watched in rapt attention, cruel whispers passing between hands, but no one moved to help him. His shirt was soaked with crimson, and Shiro had to push himself to look away. His heart was hammering in his chest, bile creeping up his throat, like he’d been the one to take a beating. He almost didn’t hear Keith when he spoke up, speaking through clenched teeth, glaring furiously at the wall.

“He deserved it.”

“It doesn’t matter, let it go.”

Keith turned that fury on him, shoving hard to try and free himself from Shiro’s grip. “He said you cheated! He said that you bent over for Captain Ivar and that’s why you got the Kerberos mission.”

The hallway went dead silent and Shiro felt his ears burn. He leaned in close, body pressed behind Keith’s and murmured low so no one could overhear. “Let them talk, it doesn’t matter. They’re just angry.”

Keith shoved him again and broke Shiro’s grip, whirling on the older boy with rage in his eyes. “You can’t let people go around saying shit like that, someone needed to make him stop.”

“You’re the one who needs to stop, Keith.”

They stared at each other, seconds stretching out between them. Blood dripped from Keith’s knuckles to the tiled floor, the soft  _plip_  the only sound. Shiro refused to back down and Keith broke first, lips curled back in a snarl as he pushed passed the crowd and fled. Shiro exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, glancing around at the onlookers who were still gathered to watch. 

“Someone help him up and get him to the infirmary! Come on people, move.” His voice snapped with authority, startling them into action. Shiro didn’t watch them work.

The hall cleared. Eventually someone turned the music back up and another delivery of pizza came in, but it was too late. The party had already soured for Shiro. He knew why he stayed, he just wished he had a better reason, but he kept hoping that Keith would come back. He suspected he’d be able to find him if he tried, but Shiro wasn’t sure he ought to. Keith had always kept his anger in check, and on the rare occasions he slipped up, no one was harder on him than himself. He’d told Shiro once that he had a temper; he’d been embarrassed about it but resigned, and just as determined to make sure it never got in his way again. There was a story behind that, and Shiro hadn’t pushed to hear it, but some day, he was going to. Right now, Shiro just wanted to be there if Keith came looking.

Keith didn’t. 

The party dwindled down into nothing as students left in twos and threes, without Keith returning. Shiro helped clean up, lingered far longer than he should have, and by the time he returned to his dorm, he was ready to hide for the rest of the week. Except Keith was sitting in front of his door, his legs spread in either direction and half asleep. He jolted when Shiro approached, getting to his feet immediately.

He looked like he was going to say something, brows furrowed in concentration, but before he could begin, Shiro shook his head, already moving to let him in. “If you called, I would’ve been here sooner.”

“I didn’t want to,” Keith said, then winced. Shiro didn’t get any satisfaction from it. He locked the door behind them. “It was your party.”

“It was a bust anyway.”

”I’m sorry.”

Keith had the decency to look ashamed. Shiro didn’t bother denying that the fight helped contribute to the night’s decline. Instead he asked, “For Johannessen?”

“That you had to break us up.”

Shiro laughed, but it was a terse, bitter sound. He’d figured as much. “Why do you do it, Keith? He wasn’t anyone important. It didn’t mean anything.”

“They’re all just waiting for you to fail.”

“Keith.”

“And it’s not  _fair_. You’re not just a damn good pilot, you’re a good guy. This isn’t a popularity contest. This isn’t a game. If anything happened out there -”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” Shiro tried to break in but Keith swatted away the reassuring words.

“You don’t know that, Shiro! No one can know that and they, they…”

“They don’t matter.” He put an arm on Keith’s shoulder and pulled him close. “Nothing they say matters.”

The other boy sagged into him, rage finally spent and exhausted. He wrapped his arms around Shiro, burying his face in his chest and hating himself that he couldn’t keep the angry tears from falling. Shiro couldn’t understand what it was like to lose everything. He’d been alone so long that he’d stopped expecting someone to give a damn about him. He was here to learn and to claw his way to being the best, Shiro wasn’t supposed to smile at him that first week or offer to talk to him. He wasn’t supposed to stay even when Keith had been so harsh, sure the most popular senior in the whole Garrison was just setting him up for a cruel joke. He wasn’t supposed to be kind or to listen or to chip away at his walls until he was vulnerable.

Shiro had been everything, and the only thing Keith could do in return was to protect him when he wouldn’t protect himself. “You’re better than all of them, I’m not going to let them bring you down.”

“And I’m not going to let you ruin your chance because of me.” Shiro pulled away to look down at the other man, Keith’s face blotchy and embarrassed at his own weakness. “ _You_  are more important than what they say. There’s always going to be people like Johannessen, but if you keep trying to beat them all to death, they’re going to kick you out of the pilot program.”

“I don’t care, it was worth it.”

“Well you should care.” Shiro gave him a small shake. “You’re good, Keith, and in a year or two, you’re going to be better than all of them. You could be one of the best, but not if you don’t care enough to try. I’m not going to let you throw all that work away because some idiot had a big mouth… You’re so much more than you give yourself credit for.” 

Even as Shiro said the words, he wondered if Keith believed them, and he realized it didn’t matter. Because Shiro would be there until he did.

“I’m sorry.” Keith mumbled again, swiping at his eyes. He looked away so Shiro would notice, and Shiro pretended he didn’t. Yet he tightened his grip around the younger man, pulling him back in. He felt it when Keith drew in a shaky breath, and when his shoulders slumped, and Keith gave in to his own exhaustion.

They stayed like that for a long time, with Keith tucked under Shiro’s chin, so close Shiro could feel his heart beat. Keith moved away first, and Shiro almost pulled him back.

Keith glanced around the room, unsure of what to do with himself. It had been months since he’d last looked that way, and Shiro found himself wishing they had more time. They needed  _more time._

“Can I stay tonight?” Things were changing and Keith wasn’t sure how he was ever going to let go.

“Always.” Shiro’s mouth went dry around the word, but he lost no time. Shiro had no idea how he sounded so calm when a storm raged across his ribs. It rose and fell with every move Keith made in the space between them, and when Keith looked at him, it threatened to burst through his chest. “Take one of my shirts if you need it.”

He busied himself gathering up wrinkled uniforms he’d left on the floor and trying to find a few extra blankets, unsure if he could trust himself to see that look on Keith’s face. He kept his secrets for both their sake, but with Keith’s eyes dark, the young man’s heat lingering on his skin and listening to him strip off his uniform, Shiro could feel all the words unraveling. He snuck a peek behind him at Keith’s lithe form in one of his oversized shirts that hung down to his thighs, borrowed sweatpants too big and riding low on slim hips. He swallowed hard and looked away, berating himself for the slip.

“Go ahead and take the bed.” Shiro said without turning around, not trusting himself. The couch was old and second hand, but comfortable enough for the night. It was good enough to keep those barriers between them safe. Keith had other plans.

The bed creaked as the younger pilot settled down and waited expectantly. “Are you coming?” Shiro paused, glancing back to search Keith’s face for any trace of innuendo, but there was no guile in his expression. He had to muffle a laugh, sometimes Keith missed the most obvious cues, but Shiro always loved it. There were never any ulterior motives. When he trusted you, Keith wore everything right out in the open and Shiro would never abuse that trust, even if his own wants burned inside of him.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Shiro shucked his uniform jacket and left his shoes by the door, but didn’t undress before crawling on top of the covers to curl beside Keith. The Garrison beds were narrow and personal space non-existent as he fit his body against the other man and barely resisted the urge to slip his arm around Keith’s waist.

He always thought he would tell Keith the truth someday. That _someday_ when Keith stopped putting him on a pedestal and saw him as just a man, then it would all work. He kept waiting, feeling every day slip away like he was losing. More than anything in the world, Keith had needed a friend he could trust and Shiro could bury everything else so deeply that they’d never hurt anyone but himself. But the secret ache in his chest was harder to hide when Keith was close enough to feel his heart beat.

“Stop fighting, Shiro.” The words were a soft, tired request that Shiro could never deny, not when Keith slung an arm across his waist. Keith didn’t bother with boundaries, pressing back against Shiro’s warmth with a shaky sigh and letting knotted muscles relax one by one. He’d been alone for as long as he could remember, never expecting that to change. Home had been a surprise, but now that he’d found it in Shiro’s arms, he wasn’t letting go. 

He hid his face against the curve of Shiro’s neck, so close that their knees bumped and limbs tangled, and Shiro let him. God help him, he let him, but Keith murmured against his skin, tired and drained, a quiet good night, and it was too easy for Shiro to let go.

 

* * *

 

_“They’re too fast.”_

_“It’s okay. It’ll be okay, hold on.”_

_“If you don’t, we’re both dead.”_

_“I’m not leaving you behind again!”_

_“Shiro-”_

_“Just hold on and don’t let go.”_

**Author's Note:**

> First fic for Voltron: Legendary Defender. Welcome, fandom!
> 
> You can find Dans's awesome fics [here](http://nevertrustastilesthing.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can read Rune's stuff [Here](http://fightingforthepack.tumblr.com/) and find her on tumblr at [ Runicscribbles](http://runicscribbles.tumblr.com)


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